FULL OFFICIAL ENGLISH TEXT OF COUNCIL OF EUROPE SPECIAL COMMITTEE REPORT RE: RADIO FREE EUROPE, SUBMITTED TO CONSULTATIVE ASSEMBLY.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP60-00321R000400020001-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 10, 2013
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: June 28, 1957
• Content Type: MISC

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May 3, 1957
Herewith is the full official English text of Council of
Europe Special Committee report re. RFE submitted to Consultative
Assembly. The report was written by Mr. F. J. Goedhart (The Nether-
lands) and was unanimously approved by all Committee members. Text
follows:
Strasbourg, April 27 (CNR) -- The following report on RFE
was presented by Mr. F. J. Goedhart to the Committee on non-represented
nations-of the Consultative Assembly.of Council of Europe - Conseil de
L'Europe:
1. Right from the time of its establishment in 1950 Radio
Free Europe has been subject to much criticism. This is understandable,
for public opinion in Europe had still to learn what were the aims of
Radio Free Europe.
Radio Free Europe transmits its programs in Polish,
Czechoslovakian, Hungarian, Rumanian. and Bulgarian. All these lan-
guages are only spoken by few people in Western Europe and this makes
it extremely difficult to form an opinion on the political character
and the cultural and intellectual merits of these programs. It also
makes it extremely difficult to find out whether there are grounds for
the, rumors that have been. circulating about these broadcasts.
There are also other factors impairing an impartial
judgment. The political refugees from behind the Iron. Curtain -- who
naturally are highly interested in the work of Radio Free Europe --
often hold different political views and this cannot but lead:to cri-
ticism of Radio Free Europe by some of them.
We have heard Radio Free Europe criticized from the
Communist side as being inspired by Fascists and reactionaries and we
have heard it accused by neo-Fascists as being under Communist influence.
Then there are those criticizing the high salaries paid to Radio Free
Europe's staff; this criticism clearly comes from those refugees who have
to scrape for a living and are envious of their more fortunate fellow
refugees in good positions.
Then there is also the factor of the sharp German reaction
to Radio Free Europe's transmitters broadcasting on German territory
without being under direct control of the German Government or other
German official bodies.
? After the Hungarian revolt in October and November 1.956
the tone of this criticism became more aggressive and it found an echo
in the press and parliaments of many countries. Committees of the
Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe also considered the
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question and the Special Committee to watch over the interests of
nations not represented in the Council of Europe has collected all
available data in order to be able to form an unprejudiced opinion
on the position and the activities of Radio Free Europe.
2. How did Radio Free Europe come into being:
Radio Free Europe is a branch of the Free Europe Com-
mittee, Inc., an organization set up by a group of px ivate American
citizens in 1949. Both the Committee and Radio Free Europe are backed
by the Crusade for Freedom. In the U. S. A. it finds its supporters.
among Democrats and Republicans alike. Since 1950 Radio Free Europe
has grown from a tiny 7' kilowatt mobile transmitter into a network
of five stations, utilizing 29 transmitters located in Western Germany
and Portugal. The five stations broadcasting to Poland, Czechoslovakia,
Hurgary., Rumania and Bulgaria operate for a public of 70 million. They
supply. their listeners with truthful and impartial information., politi-
cal arguments and moral support. They try to inspire them with hope
and the courage to shake off the Soviet yoke. There are daily broad-
casts of the actual facts and figures which are thus brought home to
the opposition behind the Iron Curtain. In this way the listeners are
armed with political argumentation to meet the misleading Soviet pro-.
paganda and this forms an offset against the Soviet confuse-and-divide
campaign and renders it difficult for the Kremlin to consolidate its
grip on the satellites. It also fights the monopoly of the information
system built up by the Soviet government in all the satellite countries.
We may compare Radio Free Europe's task to that performed
by the B.B.C. during the second World War for the German-occupied
European countries. To those unfortunate countries which have lived,
under the Soviet Regime since the second World War., the Radio Free
Europe broadcasts are a daily recurring evidence that we in the West
have not lost interest in their fate. The activities of Radio Free
Europe which includes the spreading of pamphlets by balloons have con-
siderably contributed to the fact that the Kremlin has not been able
to break the morale of the captive nations.
3. The character of the Radio Free Europe broadcasts.
Though the primary aim of these broadcasts is to fight
Communism in the satellite countries., they do not bear an exclusively
political character. The importance of these transmissions can hardly
be overrated. They include daily broadcasts from the big Western press
agencies and this news service enables listeners behind the Iron Curtain
to form a realistic opinion about the'actual political situation in the
world and to escape the demoralizing effects of misleading Soviet pro-
paganda.
? Radio Free Europe has organized an extensive monitoring
service which makes verbatim reports of the most important broadcasts
behind the Iron Curtain. It also carefully reads and analyzes Soviet
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newspapers and magazines. This method of systematically observing the
Communist press and radio has made Radio Free Europe into one of the
most important centers of documentation in the field of Soviet affairs.
This imposing documentation -- often of a very topical nature -- gives
Radio Free Europe the opportunity to fight Communist lying campaigns
and to supply the listeners behind the Iron Curtain with convincing
arguments.
Furthermore Radio Free Europe is broadcasting regularly
reviews of European and American newspapers in order to make the listeners
more familiar with the many shades characteristic of political thinking
in the free world.
Much attention is also being paid to the cultural, artistic
and scientific life of Western European countries. Listeners are given
the opportunity to learn about important books published in these countries
and to become familiar with dramatic art and other artistic manifestations
in the free world.
Great attention is given in the program to fashion news
from the Western countries, as this will interest the women behind the-
Iron Curtain. Radio Free Europe also broadcasts modern and classical
? music as well as radio plays which form a regular part of the programs..
Radio Free Europe further pays much attention to the work
of the Council of Europe and other international organizations such as
NATO, W. E. U. and the E.C.S.C., and recently also to EURATOM and the
European common market. Experience has shown that people behind the
Iron Curtain are greatly interested in all European manifestations such
as the increase in production, in military power., the simplification of
formalities; in short everything which. aims at greater unity and which
proves that Western European politicians are not letting themselves be
deceived by the maneuvers of the Kremlin. During the past few years,
various members of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe
have had the opportunity to speak for Radio Free Europe to the Europeans
behind the Iron Curtain. This has to some extent compensated for the
fact that the Council of Europe does not have its own broadcasting station.
Lt. Communist counter-measures.
There is sufficient evidence to prove the effectiveness
of Radio Free Europe. We think of the statements given by the continuous
stream of refugees, of the letters smuggled through the Iron Curtain,
and of the Communist attacks on Radio Free Europe which indicate that the
Reds are seriously troubled by its influence. Communist collaborators in.
the satellite countries., who were denounced over Radio Free Europe have
changed their names or have attempted to conciliate the workers they
terrorized.
?
In order to prevent the captive nations hearing the voice
of the free world, the Soviets established more than
1,500 jamming stations -- much more than Goebbels had
at his disposal during the second World Wnr -- which are
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active day and night. But in spite of the fact that
the Reds spend more money annually by trying to jam
Western broadcasts than Radio Free Europe spends by
transmitting them, Radio Free Europe generally succeeds
in reaching their listeners. It is interesting to ob-
serve that the present Polish Government has put an end
to the activities of the Polish jamming stations, and
that the Soviet troops in Poland have since taken over
the said stations.
In its constant effort to stay ahead of the Soviet jam-
mars, Radio Free Europe has made use of all kinds of technical devices.
A very effective and popular one is to direct all its transmitters
towards one target for a certain period of . the day, thus making a sieve
out of the Iron Curtain and generating a. volume which makes jamming in-
effective.
5. The various aspects of criticism of. Radio Free Europe..
Especially during the Hungarian revolt criticism of Radio
Free Europe became very marked. The following points were releva.nt:
a. Criticism from the U.S.S.R. and its fellow travelers
asserted that Radio Free, Europe. was guilty of the
events in Hun ;=ary , The Soviet delegate at UNO,
Kuznetsov, stated that the general headquarters of
the rebellion in Ikmg.nry were at the headquarters of
Radio Free Europe in Munich." He further declared
that, for weeks Radio Free Europe had been constantly
on the air, giving- orders and instructions to the
insurgents., that the 1,,1400 employees of Radio Free
Europe had organized the "counter-revolution" in
Hungary and that thus Radio Free Europe was chiefly
responsible for the tragic events in Hungary. The
Soviet press added to this that the staff of Radio
Free Europe consisted for the greater part of Fascists,
Nazis, Reactionaries and the like and that U.S.A. oil
concerns had staged the revolt in Hungary by using
Radio Free Europe, in order to divert attention from
what happened in Egypt at the same time. These accusa-
tions are so ridiculous that they need not be rebutted.
b. German criticism of Radio Free Europe can be explained
as follows :
In nationalist circles opinion is that it is intolerable
that a broadcasting station should be located on German
territory without a German management and without direct .
control of either the German government or other: German
bodies.
In'German business circles which aims at an extension
of trade with the U.S.S.R., the presence of Radio Free
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Europe in Germany is considered a serious impedi-
ment to an improvement of trade relations with
Moscow and the satellite governments.
In other German circles it is believed that German
reunification can be promoted by avoiding all that
might be disagreeable to the Soviet Union and they
consequently see in Radio Free Europe's presence on
German soil an obstacle to German unification.
Sudeten Germans are indignant that the Czechoslovakian
Department of Radio Free Europe does not back the
claims of the Sudeten Germans with respect to Czecho-
slovakia.
Other Germans would like Radio Free Europe to start
a campaign against the Oder-Neisse-Line. Radio Free
Europe, however, systematically refuses to start any
campaign relating to nationalist or frontier matters;
it rightly holds the view that this is beside the
point. Its only aim is and remains the fighting
against Communist domination. This standpoint has
led to Radio Free Europe being blamed for an anti-
German attitude in -these matters. It ha.s. even led
to actions which were not only directed against Radio
Free Europe but also against the government of the
Federal Republic at 'Bonn and it almost looks as if
internal German political conflicts are being fought
out on the beam of Radio Free Europe. It leaves the
U.S.S.R. as the man who has the last laugh, for the
Kremlin can only be pleased when it sees anti-Communist
Germans inflictincr harm on an efficiently functioning
anti-Communist instrument.
c. In neutralist circles too -- and they are not confined
to Germany -- there exists a distinct aversion to Radio
Free Europe. These circles see in the broadcasts of
Radio Free Europe a provocative element which annoys
the Kremlin and disturbs the neutralistts.dream of
peaceful co-existence and their illusion of the "Cold
War" being over. It is Radio Free Europe which con-
fronts them with the naked facts and tries to awaken
them from their pleasant dreams. The blame is con-
sequently put on Radio Free Europe.
d. The accusation that Radio Free Europe promised the
Hungarian people during their revolt military aid from
the West was proved to be without ground and this rumor
has died out since. But other charges are now being
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directed against Radio Free Europe. It is now called
a center of national communism for the fact that during
and after the days political tension in Poland it urged
the Polish people not to offer armed resistance, as it
was in the proper interest of all Polish anti-Communists
to support -- for the time being -- Gomulka against
Moscow. Radio Free Europe's policy at the time may be
.compared with the policy of the Roman Catholic Episcopacy
in Warsaw, who offered no resistance against the Gomulka
government as they feared a large scale massacre among
the Polish people; instead they adopted a rather bene-
volent -- though critical -- neutrality towards the
government in order not to weaken its position with
Moscow.
We may or may not agree with this policy, but we must
all admit that there are circumstances in which one has,
to act contrary to one's deepest convictions. It clearly
was a question of tactics which had brought about a sub-
stantial change as regards the attitude towards Communism.
There is consequently no reason to accuse Radio Free Europe
or the Polish Catholic Episcopacy on these grounds of hav-
ing embraced national communism.,
e. As regards the accusation of a promise of armed support from
the West during the Hungarian revolt, .the government of the
German Federal Republic has submitted to.a careful examina-
tion all the texts of the HungarianDepartment of Radio
Free EuroT)e which were broadcast during the November revolt.
On the strength of this examination Dr. A.denauer., at a
press conference held at Bonn in January 1957 made the
following statement:
"A verification has taken place. This verifi-
cation revealed that the statement which appeared
in the press that Radio Free Europe had promised
armed support of the West to the Hungarians, is
not in conformity with the facts. Remarks have,
however, been made which could give rise to a
wrong interpretation. A debate and an exchange
of views have therefore taken place which resulted
in a turnover in the staff and I think that until
further orders the matter may be considered closed."
The phrase "remarks that could give rise to the wrong
interpretation" refers to a statement from the Washington
correspondent of the London Sunday paper "Observer" which
was quoted in a review of the comments from the World Press.
on the events in Hungary. This statement read.that if
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the Hungarians could carry on their struggle until
November 7th, it could be assumed that the State
Department might be compelled to revise its policy
with regard to Hungary. This quotation from the
"Observer" was certainly not out of place in an ob-
jective press review. But it is understandable that
this report could easily have led to misunderstandings
in a country going through a period of such strain as
Hungary did. at the time. In the report., however,
there was no reference whatever to armed support.
f. Some of the Hungarian refugees who fled to Europe also
made bitter remarks about Radio Free Europe. These
refugees, most of whom took part in the armed revolt
against. the Commiuaists, were naturally highly disap-
pointed that the West did. nothing to help them so that
they had to yield to the superior force of the Soviets
and had to seek refuge in the free countries of the
West. The fact that they waited in vain for military
support from the West was a bitter disillusion for them.
The more so when Soviet propaganda had for years led
them to believe that the West was eager for war and
that especially the U.S.A. were in constant preparation
for a war. This had the reverse effect, as this propa-
ganda gave the masses an increasing faith in the West.
and in the U.S.A.; especially ';isenhower was a great
favorite of theirs. They therefore did not doubt that
at least the U.S.A. would take action through UNO or
else through NATO. The Hungarians could in no way
understand why this did not happen. They immediately
started to blame Radio Free Europe, being the voice,
of the free world on which they had built their hopes
during all those years and from which they expected
help. The embitterment against the West accumulated
in accusations against Radio Free Europe.
There were, however, no concrete accusations from the
side of the Hungarian refugees.
The publication of the American journalist Demaree Bess
in the "Saturday Evening Post" throws another light. on
the accusations against Radio-Free Europe. I quote:
"Our networks (the Voice of America and Radio Free
Europe) made a documented report of what actually
happened on the European air waves during the
Hungarian revolution. This record, to which I
have been given complete access, shows that Soviet
? psychological warriors revived a familiar wartime
trick. Soviet transmitters announced themselves
as Radio Free Europe and other trusted Western
stations. Behind this mask, they encouraged
Hungarian recklessness by faking assurances of
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outside armed assistance. By so doing, Kremlin
operators sought simultaneously to justify harsh
measures in Hungary and to smear American propa-
ganda networks.
"The Soviet fakers' transmitters began to operate
during those critical October days when the Hun-
garians had reason to hope that they had induced
the Red Armyts withdrawal. Only Moscow, at that
moment, knew additional Russian divisions already
were mobilizing to crush the revolution.. Then
our monitors picked up transmitters using stolen
signals of American and British broadcasting net-
works. Some of those transmitters were traced to
Russian-controlled East Germany, while others ap-
parently were operated inside Hungary, either by
Russians or by Hungarians still stooging for ,the
Kremlin. These Judas mouthpieces assured the em-
battled Hungarians that they might soon expect
military reinforcements from the West."
h. The course of the Hungarian revolt, the heroic and general
resistance of the population., the slaughter made by the
Communists and the restoration of the Kremlin's reign
of terror without the West intervening to help the Hun-
garian people, spread a feeling of shame, annoyance and
frustration in the free world. This brought some people
to very tumultuous denonstrations against Communist
editors and party organizations; while it led others to
look for a. scapegoat. It is difficult to escape the im-
pression that here and there one was eager to use Radio
Free Europe for this purpose, with the result that one
lent one's ear more to the accusation expressed against
Radio Free Europe than was justified by the facts.
?
6. The position of Radio Free Europe.
There can be Little doubt about Radio Free Europe being a well
managed organization working efficiently and performing an extremely useful
political task and one can only be grateful to those who have made this
possible. The American promoters have rendered a big service to their country
as well as to Europe and together with those who are contributing large and
smaller amounts to raise the millions of dollars necessary to finance Radio
Free Europe, prove thereby that they are sincerely concerned with the cause
of freedom and democracy. It is regrettable that Europe herself did not .
take the initiative at the time; it is also regrettable that Radio Free
Europe. is still entirely financed by the U.S.A. and that we Europeans have
failed to show financial interest for Radio Free Europe. Radio Free Europe
depends entirely on American funds and is consequently a purely American
affair. The staff consists of some 1,400 persons and is composed inter al is
of 700 Germans, 150 Czechs and Slovaks, 120 Americans, 100 Poles and approx-
imately 100 Bulgarians and Rumanians. The executive of the six departments
is in the hands of emigrants who have much freedom of action. It is nevertheless
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obvious that the actual political leadership and the last ward rests with
the American management. One is thus confronted with the fact that due to
a lack of interest and funds from the European side such an extremely im-
portant institution as Radio Free Europe, which mainly deals with European
questions, is not under European control. To say this does not meant hat
we appreciate less the excellent work of Radio Free Europe. Nevertheless,
the fact that Europe has no say whatever in this typically European matter,
constitutes a somewhat unnatural situation.
As a reaction to this situation, voices were raised, especially'
in Germany, pleading that Radio Free Europe be placed under the control of
the German Parliament or the German Government. It is doubtful whether this
would be in the interest of the work of Radio, Free Europe. It is in the
nature of the work of Radio Free Europe that it can better be done by private
organizations than by governments or governing bodies. Parliamentary control
of Radio Free.Europe.seens to be no more in the nature of things-than Par-
liamentary control of a big newspaper.
Basically, the task of Radio Free Europe is no more German
than it is American. A German control would therefore be as unacceptable
as the now existing American direction. Apart from the fact that the German
government grants the license for this European broadcasting station which
? operates on German territory there is no reason why Radio Free Europe should
fall under German control. It would be a much better idea to attract some
capable and qualified persons from various European countries and make them
sit on the Board of Management of the Radio Free Europe so that in close
cooperation with the American staff the organization would obtain a more
European character. In this way Radio Free Europe could remain a private
enterprise for which no government would be responsible. Such an.Americo-
European cooperation would change its present predominantly American character.
The suggestion raised that the Council of Europe should play
a part in the natter, seems -- for the time being -- to present many diffi-
culties. It would of course be useful for the Council of Europe. to have
access to Radio Free Europe's documentation, but under the present structure
of Radio Free Europe that is already possible. Moreover, the representatives
of Radio Free Europe indicated that they would welcome the establishment of,
some form of cooperation between Radio Free Europe and the Council of Europe.
On the other hand, should the Council of Europe get a say in the management,
the Council of Ministers as well as the Consultative Assembly would be con-
fronted with insurmountable difficulties. In neither of the two bodies
does there exist unanimity on the policy to be pursued with regard to the
USSR and the Central European affairs. Under the given circumstances any
interference from the side of the Council of Europe would only complicate
matters and would not be. in the least advantageous. Such an interference
in whatever form would therefore be highly undesirable. Here there is no
clearly defined task for the Council of Europe.
? For the rest it is clear that changes in the structure of
Radio Free Europe are only possible when the American management is prepared
to take the necessary initiative. Nobody else is in a position to make sug-
gestions to this effect. Radio Free Europe is entirely the result of American
initiative, it is financed by American funds, it is built up and managed by
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Americans and in America it has become quite an important organization.
It could be imagined, however, that a change in the present
structure would also appear useful to the Americans. Europe could do much
to help realize the ultimate goal of liberating the European countries,
which have been under Soviet rule since l945. The problem of Central and
Eastern Europe is no longer an abstract question. It will in due course
be necessary to formulate a common Americo-European policy with regard to
the satellite question. The Hungarian tragedy has made it sufficiently
clear that neither America nor Europe are ready for this. Americo-European
interest must therefore be constantly focussed on this problem in order to
.prevent political initiative ways c canting from the USSR.. Radio Free Europe
in furnishing the nations behind the Iron Curtain with moral and political .
support plays an important part in the political. psychological struggle,
which should be a matter of equal concern to both Americans and Europeans.
(NOTE: This report was approved unanimously by the Committee on Non-
represented Nations at its meeting on April 29, 1957.)
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This Tab is in three parts. The numbers in the margins
of the first part (Summary of Department of Defense Budget
Hearings) correspond to numbers in the margins of the second
part (Comments on Certain Points in the Summary). The third
part anticipates a possible question as a result of Mr. Whitten's
testimony.
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